William p



' (m Model) W P GONNER FOLDING TOP FOR SUHOOL DE$KS.

No. 338,715. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

- WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

ETERS. PhMo-Lxlhngmphun Waillingtnll, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM P. CONNER, OF BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SCHOOLFURNISHING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING TOP FOR SCHOOL-DESKS.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 338,715, dated March 30,1886.

Application filed June 97, 1885. Serial No. 169,967. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM P. CONNER, of Bloomsburg, in the county ofColumbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedFolding Top for School- Desks, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved folding topfor schooldesks, which top also closes the opening in the box of thedesk.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement ofparts, all as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a front View of a desk provided with my improved top. Fig. 2is a cross-sectional elevation of the same, the leaf being raised. Fig.3 is a crosssectional elevation of the same, the leaf being lowered.Fig. 4 is a detail View. Fig. 5 is a detail view, partly in section, ofthe connection of the link with the desk.

The desk-box A is secured on the legs B, and the back of the box isformed by the curved back-restO of the seat, bench, orsettee. Anopening, D, is formed in the front of the desk at the top, and into saidopening the leaf E fits, to the under side of which two metal cleats, F,are secured transversely, the ends of the same projectingbeyond theupper edge of the leaf and forming lugs G, which are piv oted to linksH, having their other ends hinged to the inner. surfaces of the ends ofthe box by means of bosses h on thelinks working in sockets h in thebox.

J J are springs resting on the hinged ends of the links H, to keep themfrom making a noise. The links H are united by a bar, K.

On the outer surface of each end of the deskboX a bracket, L, issecured, from the inner surface of each of which a pin, M, projectsparallel with the front of the desk, and a distance from the rear edgeof the end piece of the desk equal to the thickness of the front of thedesk.

A notch, O, is provided in the top edge of that part of the desk formingthe bottom of the opening D at each end of the edge.

The adjustment is as follows: When the front of the desk is closed, theleaf E is in the opening D, as shown in Fig. 3. To raise the leaf E soas to form a continuation of the desk top P, the said leaf is-movedupward and outward, the under side of the leaf sliding on the pins M.The free end of the leafis then swung down, the leaf resting on the pinsM, and be ing held from swinging down too far by the links H, which inturn are held by the springs J and hinges h. To swing down the leaf toclose the front of the desk, the free edge of the leaf is first raisedand swung toward the back of the desk and then moved downward, the leafagain sliding on the pins M, which hold the free end of the leaf snuglyagainst the edge of the tabletop P. \Vhen the leaf is lowered, the linksH are in the notches O.

The above-described desk-top can be raised or lowered without anyinconvenience to the scholars.

I am aware that a desk having an opening in its front and a hinged leaffor closing the same is old; and I am also aware that a desk has beenprovided with a hinged leaf, to which is hinged one end of an arm, theother end of said arm working in a groove on the inside of the desk, andI therefore do not claim such inventions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a desk having an opening in its front and aleaf for closing the same, of cleats F, secured to said leaf and projecting beyond the edge of the same, and links H, pivoted to the innersides of the desk and to the projecting ends of the cleats,substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with a desk box having an opening in its front, of aleaf for closing the opening, links hinged to the leaf and to the innersurfaces of the ends of the box, and

brackets secured to the ends of the box, and having pivots or pinsprojecting toward each other a short distance from the front edge of thedesk-top, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination,with a desk-boxhavin an opening in its front, of theleaf E, fitting in' said opening, the cleats F, secured to the underside of the leaf and provided with jaws,

the links H, andthesprings-J onthe inner 1o sides of the ends of thebox, and to which links the jaws on the cleats are pivot-ed. subostantially as herein shown and described.

WILLIAM P. CONNER.

\Vitnesses:

SAM 0. BROWN, J OHN L. W001).

